Text examines communities of practice from a practical, rather than academic, point of view; and provides a number of case studies, lessons learned, and sets of guidelines. Communities of Practice are currently attracting much interest among academics, consultants and in commercial organisations. Academic researchers are undertaking research into how CoPs can be supported, the relationships within them and how this can help support the generation of new knowledge.

Instructional designers hold the responsibility of selecting, sequencing, synthesizing, and summarizing unfamiliar content to subject matter experts. To successfully achieve legitimate participation in communities of practice, instructional designers need to utilize a number of communication strategies to optimize the interaction with the subject matter expert. Instructional Design: Case Studies in Communities of Practice documents real-world experiences of instructional designers and staff developers who work in communities of practice.

The Handbook of Research on Communities of Practice for Organizational Management and Networking: Methodologies for Competitive Advantage provides a sound understanding of the managerial implications of communities of practice as well as their opportunities and limits for knowledge management. A defining body of research, this collection of international findings fosters innovation within management and assists organizations in the improvement of performance.

Instructional designers hold the responsibility of selecting, sequencing, synthesizing, and summarizing unfamiliar content to subject matter experts. To successfully achieve legitimate participation in communities of practice, instructional designers need to utilize a number of communication strategies to optimize the interaction with the subject matter expert. Instructional Design: Case Studies in Communities of Practice documents real-world experiences of instructional designers and staff developers who work in communities of practice.

Text examines communities of practice from a practical, rather than academic, point of view; and provides a number of case studies, lessons learned, and sets of guidelines. After 11 years teaching Modern Languages, Paul Hildreth returned to university studies and pursued a course in IT completing both an MSc and a DPhil and focusing his work in the field of Knowledge Management, specifically explore the emerging and fascinating field of Communities of Practice and their impact on knowledge management efforts. Having completed his DPhil, Paul now runs his own independent Knowledge Management and computer consultancies.